d because of hair of that color all over their
bodies."

"That's right," agreed Mr. Durban, shaking his head solemnly.
"They're red imps, too!"

"Mr. Illingway often mentioned in his letters," went on Mr.
Anderson, "that there were frequent fights between the pygmies and
the race of blacks, but the latter had no great fear of their small
enemies. However, it seems that they did not take proper
precautions, for not long ago there was a great battle, the blacks
were attacked by a large force of the red pygmies, who overwhelmed
them by numbers, and finally routed them, taking possession of their
country."

"What became of the missionaries?" asked Ned Newton.

"I'll tell you," said Mr. Anderson. "For a long time we heard
nothing, beyond the mere news of the fight, which we read of in the
papers. The church people were very anxious about the fate of Mr.
and Mrs. Illingway, and were talking of sending a special messenger
to inquire about them, when a cablegram came from the headquarters
of the society in London."

"It seems that one of the black natives, named Tomba, who was a sort
of house servant to Mr. and Mrs. Illingway, escaped the general
massacre, in which all his friends were killed. He made his way
through the jungle to a white settlement, and told his story,
relating how the two missionaries had been carried away captive by
the pygmies."

"A terrible fate," commented Mr. Durban.

"Yes, they might better be dead, from all the accounts we can hear,"
went on Mr. Anderson.

"Bless my Sunday hat! Don't say that!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "Maybe
we can save them, Mr. Anderson."

"That is what I am going to try to do, though it may be too late. As
soon as definite news was received, our church held a meeting,
raised a fund, and decided to send me off to find Mr. and Mrs.
Illingway, if alive, or give them decent burial, if I could locate
their bones. The reason they selected me was because I had been in
Africa, and knew the country."

"I made hurried arrangements, packed up, said good-by to my wife,
and here I am. But to think of meeting you, Tom Swift! And to hear
that you are also going to Africa. I wish I could command an airship
for the rescue. It might be more easily accomplished!"

"That's just what I was going to propose!" exclaimed Tom. "We are
going to the land of the red pygmies, and while I have promised to
help Mr. Durban in getting ivory, and while I want to try my
electric rifle on big game, still